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464 climbers plan Mt Everest summit push in next 4 days

KATHMANDU: As many as 464 climbers, who have been waiting for a fair window to climb Mt Everest, are all set for summit push in the next four days, an official at Nepal’s Department of Tourism said.

If weather did not play spoilsport on their expedition bids, there would be a rush on Mt Everest with nearly 200 climbers trying to reach to the world’s highest peak Everest summit in a single day.

According to Gyanendra Shrestha, 197 climbers are now at different higher camps with hopes to make their final summit push on Thursday.

“At least 205 expedition members along with their 259 mountain guides have announced to head towards the summit point in the next four days,” he told THT Online over phone from the Everest base camp.

“At least 41 foreign climbers and 58 Nepali guides will be going to make a final attempt on Wednesday,” he said adding that 110 Nepalis and 87 foreigners will try to attempt to climb Mt Everest on Thursday.

On Friday, 126 climbers, including 70 Nepali guides, plan to make the summit attempt while 42 mountaineers, including 21 foreigners, have their plans for Saturday, according to Shrestha.

The season also recorded unhindered climbing bids for the last six days as the Mt Everest witnessed fair weather after nine Sherpas opened climbing route making first summits of the season on May 11.

“In the history of Mt Everest climbing, it’s very rare to find such an everyday summit window as summit continued for six days without gap in this season,” Damber Parajuli, the president of Expedition Operators’ Association, said.

Shrestha, however, said Mt Everest recorded no summits on Tuesday due to bad weather condition.

“It’s been excellent to see how well things have gone this season on Mt Everest: safety, successes and cooperation. That type of season can only benefit the return of tourism to Nepal after the earthquake and improvements generally that will continue to move the needle,” wrote Seattle-based climber David Morton on Facebook.

Likewise, Irish mountaineer Cian O’Brolchain has written that it was a very proud moment to see the Sherpas and climbers reach the summit of Everest after a very hard few years in Nepal.